yes
If they are legally married, the father gets rights until mother gets out of prison, after that it is up to the state. If not legally married, they go into state custody.
How often is the father awarded custody of the child over the mother in North Carolina?
Yes, if the father is not given custody he will be obligated to keep paying support to whomever the court awards custody or guardianship of the children.
the father gets the custody of the child if the mother dies
The mother. If she dies, her parents get custody.
Father must petition for custody and court will weigh what situation is best for the child
He can still gain custody as the presumptive father.
A child does not need to be abandoned by their mother for a father to be awarded full custody. If the father can demonstrate before a judge that the mother is unfit to parent, the judge can award him full custody of the child.
The mother. The father have to petition the court for custody.
It is very rare that a Mother wants to give full custody of a child to the Father. To this all a Mother would have to do is choose to sign and give up her rights to the child in court.
I think it depends on how long the mother will be incarcerated for. There might be a hearing giving the father temporary custody. But if the father ever tries to get full physical custody of the child in the future, it might not be good for the mother. However, she can never be refused visitation.
A single father, what does that mean? Are you divorced, ever married to the mother of your child, or is the child adopted by you, or is the mother dead or out of the picture? If your question is "How does a Father obtain residential custody after a divorce or in a paternity case", then I can answer this question. Let me know what your grounds for custody are. What is it about the mother or other parent that makes it harmful for the child to remain in their care?